The occasion was marked
with an official welcome ceremony attended by the airline’s senior management
led by Hareb Almuhairy, Etihad Airways Senior Vice President Corporate and
International Affairs, together with Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways Vice President
UAE and GCC Commercial, Sultan AL Mansoori, GCC Country Manager, Abu Dhabi
Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Adel Al Ragadi ,Terminal
Operation Manager, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The Dreamliner offers more
seats and features the airline’s award-winning interiors in a two-class
configuration – 28 Business Studios, each providing aisle access and equipped
with an in-seat massage and air cushion control system, and 271 Economy Smart
Seats with unique ‘fixed wing’ headrests. The aircraft operates on one of the
twice-daily flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Khalid
International Airport.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad
Airways Vice President UAE and GCC Commercial, said: “Since its launch in 2004,
the route has seen consistently strong passenger growth, and to date, we have
carried more than 2.5 million guests between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Etihad
Airways’ decision to offer additional capacity on this important route will undoubtedly
be well received in the market. Linking the two capitals of the UAE and Saudi
Arabia, with the Boeing 787 further underscores the importance of Riyadh and
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to our operations.”

Riyadh becomes Etihad
Airways’ newest B787 destination this year following the induction of the
aircraft on flights to Perth, Dusseldorf and Shanghai, with Abu Dhabi –
Johannesburg set to become a Dreamliner route on 1 November. Etihad Airways’
current fleet of nine B787s also operates to Singapore, Washington DC, Brisbane
and Zurich.

The flight schedules
provide optimal timings for guests in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and convenient
connections to and from destinations across key markets in Europe, the Indian
subcontinent, North America, Asia and Australia.

The aircraft is equipped
with full mobile and Wi-Fi services as well as the latest Panasonic eX3
in-flight entertainment system featuring seven satellite channels of live TV
including BBC World News, Sport 24 and CNN to name a few.

“To experience our world
class product, Etihad Holidays and the Hala Group offer our Saudi guests exciting
holiday packages which cater to a broad range of interests and include visits
to some of the region’s finest beaches, luxury hotels, and the city’s many
cultural and sporting attractions,” Mr Al Bulooki added.

To mark the launch of the
new Boeing 787 to Riyadh, Etihad Holidays is offering fantastic rates on hotel packages
with return flights starting from as low as AED 2350 per person including three
nights’ accommodation on twin sharing basis until 30 November, 2016. Guests can
enhance their travel experience with one or more attractions including Hala Abu
Dhabi Signature City Tours, Ferrari World, Yas Water World and many more.*

Etihad Airways’ flights to
Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina and Dammam are complemented by Saudi codeshare partner
flynas, whose dedicated services between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Jeddah
provide travelers with even more choice.